Cadets' Recognition Day

somethings, words cant describe.



platoon charlie trainers



fairsians



thats jamues, the spammer on my tag board.

click here to view ULP charlie's cheer

and here for ULP charlie's song

Does this mean farewell?

i hope not :

fathers' day

been trying to spend as much time as possible these days with my family and friends since ULP ended. after all, im trying to live up to my year's resolution of having a healthy balance of everything in life. getting bored of all the world cup matches with friends on most of the past nights and waking up the next day with lack of sleep. >.< today's Father's Day and we had a little celebration dinner treat from my brother. hah, its about time he contributed some money after all the big bucks he's been earning from giving tuition. anyways, its back to camp tomorrow til wednesday and then its really time to chiong assignments. well for now i'm looking forward very much to charlies outing on friday and charlie recognition day on sat! until we meet again, take care guys from charlie platoon! =)

and yes, A BLESSED AND HAPPY FATHERS' DAY TO ALL DADS AND DADS-TO-BE (including me) haha!

the unforgettable moments

ahah. alrights, managed to upload some platoon/group pics of Charlie in ULP. Enjoy!

end of ULP

whoo, its been long since the last post i know... at least exams are finally over and im in the midst of my nice 2 weeks break presently. its already 5.20am on the clock but i just felt i had to blog some things down before such beautiful memories fade away from my mind. ULP camp ended just on tuesday, with many lessons, values, memories, but most importantly, new friendships and bonds brought home by many for sure. as much as i was able to share experiences and lessons with my trainees, so much too have i learnt from them all, understanding what it means to love the ones i led and going the extra mile for them.

i guess the reason why we bonded so much was because of the suffering we shared together as a whole. the late nights, meetings, and then the sweat, blood maybe, and of course the tears at the end of it all, both by trainers and trainees one way or another. afterall, people only bond when they suffer together. well, what really touched me the most was seeing how determined and ready the trainees were to learn each time, and eventually how much they all have changed since the first contact session, knowing that you played a part in changing the lives of these few for the better. and even if it was just one person we had changed, it would be all worthwhile. as Vincent sir would say, the greatest joy of every leader is to see his disciples achieving greater than him. for me, i guess thats the satisfaction that keeps me going in the red cross. and of course, the passion to lead, and to serve.

to the trainees of charlie platoon, thanks for all the wonderful memories you have given me and all the trainers of the platoon. the enthusiasm and perseverance put up by you guys have touched me so strongly that im afraid i'll never find another of such an enjoyable time with the ulps in time to come. the thought of having c1 accomplishing the hike up bukit timah so fast that no trainers had expected could ever happen... the run to ecp that required great motivation from one another and eventually left charlie the only platoon with ZERO casualties... the many fun times during meals, campfire, management crisis and the games at ecp... are just... well, greatly cherished. :)

Charlie, Fast and Furious... Ha!

in KL

the last minute confirmation of a coach availability yesterday led me to a mad rush home late last night after an appointment to pack my bag and to 'chiong' to an uncle's place where my bro and i spent the night before we left at 4am this morning to KL... you know, its a public holiday and being typical singaporeans, we were only living up to our 'reputation'. yeah, decided to spend this weekend to take a break and visit some distant relatives here in KL. thank goodness for the MPV, if not the 3hour long journey would end up to be backbreaking. so far it hasnt exactly been a relaxing trip with the lack of sleep since thursday and those dangling nightmares and reminders about the 'untouched' assignments thats due by sunday and some next week. hah, seems like having this 'everything posted online' system in NP thats supposedly for the convenience sake of everyone can sometimes be otherwise. but in any case, i might as well make the best out of it here lah.

was extremely hot in the early afternoon here in KL and heavy downpour in the later. don't know if its my imagination or for real that i suddenly find myself tanner. haha. somewhat an adventure getting a little lost here and there on our own taking the monorail and LRT to get around as we didnt wish to trouble our relatives to be our chauffeurs. shopping, visiting, eating, CLUBBING AND PUBBING... thats just about all you get to do in malaysia except of course for golf and suba diving. i'll only be returning home on sunday evening (just in time for mothers' day dinner mah) so until then i apologise for being unable to receive any calls or smses :)

what cca to join?

World Red Cross Day this time didnt had very much an impact on me compared to the previous years as a link and cadet. remembered the days since primary school that i'd spend a couple of hours or so the night before pinning on the badges, ensuring that theyre perfectly in line and polishing those tiny sized boots. as a cadet, there was the extra job of ironing and starching the uniform, pinning on the many more badges and of course brushing the beret, and then waking up extra early the next morning just to spend a longer time putting on my uniform and checking myself infront of the mirror to make sure everything looks smart enough. maybe it wasn't an excellencently outstanding and complicated a set of uniform, but after all,it did mean alot to me in having that sense of pride.

being glad to be see the links and having them excited to see me, was enough to pay off the efforts of rushing down in the morning just for that 1/2 hour of assembly. haha, in fact i had a thought at that moment of becoming a relief teacher there during the sept and oct holidays. but oh wells, we shall see :)

thankfully after 2 weeks of seeking advices and appealing to the different module dept offices, my appeal of friday's interdisciplinary modules to the morning slot got accepted! that means im now able to resume rcy as an external cca and return to fairfield for weekly trainings. heh heh.

my current and rather big dilemma is still in deciding what other CCA i should join in poly... hhmmm -_-?

world red cross day

praise God for finally enabling me to pass my ppcdl theory exam last friday! its another step closer to take my own boat out for a spin. well not mine, but a personal hired one at least. hehe :) anyways, the general elections results last night was rather exciting wasn't it? feeling all the anxiety and 'suspense'... and of course the cheers at nearby coffeeshops. heh, maybe even more exciting than watching soccer. but still, was glad that pap won eventually lah.

i dont usually fancy fishes nor buy them. but these little fellas caught my attention and seeing how adorable they are, i had to buy them! haha yes, they're baby LOBSTERS!







haha. anyways, tomorrow's world red cross day. looking forward to going back to my primary school for morning assembly to observe the ceremony and visit the linkies! :)

general elections

the first week of tutorials proved to be rather taxing, yet in fact, you get much more personal attention here compared to secondary school and junior college. with 2 projects and 3 individual assignments already filling up my notebook, i can foresee my freedom and time spend on other activities lessening in weeks to come. with the general elections going on currently, theres only more reading up and reviews to do :( but on the other hand, i thought it was pretty exciting lah? considering the open criticisms made by the parties and the jokers like Chiam See Tong and James Gomez, truely something you don't get to see everyday.

unfortunately for the third time and $63 spent, i'll be sitting for my ppcdl theory exam tomorrow evening... >_<


the two tragedies in this world - losing your heart's desire, and trying to gain it back.

the interview with God

I dreamt I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.

“If you have the time” I said.

God smiled. “My time is eternity.”
“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered...
“That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again.”

“That they lose their health to make money...
and then lose their money to restore their health.”

“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future.”

"That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine
and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked...
“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
you want your children to learn?”

“To learn they cannot make anyone
love them. All they can do
is let themselves be loved.”

“To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others.”

“To learn to forgive
by practicing forgiveness.”

“To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in those they love,
and it can take many years to heal them.”

“To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.”

“To learn that there are people
who love them dearly,
but simply have not yet learned
how to express or show their feelings.”

“To learn that two people can
look at the same thing
and see it differently.”

“To learn that it is not enough that they
forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else
you would like your children to know?"

God smiled and said,
“Just know that I am here... always.”

-author unknown

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/ to view the beautiful presentation :)

what makes your day?

ever wondered what really makes your day?

for me, it's starting off the day with a good night's sleep the night before and waking up early to a sweet sms with the words, 'i love you' left in my phone from her. then it's up to the refreshing shower and mentol facewash thats necessary to wake me up (even so, not completely haha.) before consuming breakfast with whatever fruit juice that's available in the fridge. out of the house, it's the smiles of the security guard on duty and the bus driver that no doubt adds to starting off the day a good one. in the bus, it'll be either power98 or class 95 while having the time to observe the rather nice surroundings and using it to think and reflect upon certain things i'd usually wont have the time to.

at school - lectures, tutorials, workshops... whats more to elaborate? ;) if it's still early at the end of them all, my budds and i will spend some time at the nice cozy np library over a cup of bubble tea, before heading home... doing some workout (if im not feeling lazy that is)... getting some rest... catching up with her... and of course, reading up and preparing for the next day.

hah, what a boring lifestyle i just realised :|

assignments

GOSH.. talk about using some time to settle down, and here comes the assignments pouring in already. one of them having to do a report and presentation on PM Lee's budget speech 2006 thats 70 pages long over the internet! :( boo.

and yesh, for your information, my handphone is spoilt in the sense that it's unable to make and receive calls. only sms available. do bear with me til Christmas when hopefully i do get a new one. hahaha.

okay, it's time i get started on assignments.

back to school

with easter, my birthday!, being back to school, etc, just having passed, theres so many reasons to be glad for. for a start, poly life is so different from secondary school. having a really odd timetable and an independent learning system will sure require lotsa self discipline for one to do well here *glups*. the past 2 days of school have served as a good wake-up call for myself that its time to study study study once again! having forgotten all the a and e maths is terrible! not surprising how much i've slacked during the past 4 months. =) anyways, getting myself lost around school, having that short attention span during lectures and walking around like a loner at times were just part of those 2 days. oh wells, its just a matter of time i get used to things. first lectures of business statistics and economics already seem to be like another language for itself. boy, whats next? haha. but still, its good to be back in school. not exactly great, but good. =)

off to tekong

2 hours of sleep in the morning and then it was off to send poh huat off to Tekong for the very first time. tiring, yet it was a trip all worth while. we had a tour around the school, looking at the many living and training facilities of the recruits was a way to ensure many anxious parents that their sons would be in good and safe hands. for the few of us, it was a pleasant sight and assurance to know that the place wasnt that bad. haha. afterall its just a couple of years before it'll be our turn too. it was back to the auditorium after that where we got to view the army experience video and witnessed the oath taking of the enlistees. i believed it was truely an utmost pride that we all felt for our soldiers-to-be and not the sadness of saying goodbye that made many teared at that moment. A particular banner caught my attention as it said, 'Its not what you leave behind, but what you will gain in the days ahead.' yes, how true...

take care Poh Huat Sir!

successful parade :)

i'm glad to be able to say that the much anticapted parade of our unit ended off today with a success! =) praise God for the wonderful weather He has gracefully blessed us with and the strength He provided in all the participants to endure through the day! no doubt has the parade held great significance to me. well, not as in the promotions and so on, but really on much more important things that will sure stay with me for the rest of my life. the planning process taught me many valuable lessons. for once, to put away one's ego and pride, and seek help when it was necessary to. and of course, what it means to do one's best for those we lead and doing whatever it takes to achieve our vision. it was a parade to signify our unit's 53rd year in service. it was a parade marking the first of its kind involving the links, cadets and VIs. it was a parade to honour, efforts, sacrifices, friendships and the ones we love. and it was a parade... the best fairfield has ever seen.

my sincere gratitude and thanks to Joanne for doing a job no one else can do better, to Julia for being so enthu, helpful and efficient in all the tasks given, to Carissa for being so reliable and taking so much initiative in assisting me, to the exco members for their cooperation, to the ncos for being so ever supportive, to the cadets for putting in their best, to all the guests and ex cadets especially Kevin for helping with the photos, to the 8 volunteer helpers from Nan Chiau im so grateful to, to Richard sir, Johnny sir and all VIs for taking their time off and making this parade possible and the best one, to the teachers for allowing this parade to happen, to Poh Huat sir for accepting my gift and never letting me down as a brother, and to Chanel for trusting and supporting me all the way. it was a great team effort people.

three cheers for all! hip hip, hooray! =)

heh been really tied down this week with rc and tests... how to blog sia. but anyways, had quite a fun time the past few days. friday was x- country at macritchie reservoir. the same place back in sec1. woke up late and arrived late, lol but lucky not too late. went with the 1st team to clear the area before the race began... ran the whole 5km route with hidayat and abhishek. kamariah got attacked by monkeys cos they spotted her holding the bread miss tai gave. hahas and now we know that abhishek is afraid of monkeys. was super hectic back at base mann... the casualties jus kept coming and coming one after another at though it was some war zone. total recorded was about 40+ casualties. leg was trembling like mad and sweat kept dripping onto all the equipment and stuff until i bet the first aids were all contaminated. hahas. checkpoint 21 requested stretcher squad and had to go assist... wahh when i reached there i so wanted to be the next casualty can. was out of breath of the first time. so things went on and on like that the whole time lar yea you get the picture. event ended about 3hours later with none other than miss lim's looonnng speech. well she thanked the parents, teachers, and all the helpers except the first aiders. how nice. -______-
mr ow gave austin, hidayat and me a lift back to school in his van cause we needed to transport the stretchers back. nice van he got there. got a nice comfy sofa inside lol. went with hidayat to BK at holland to have lunch with sarah, brandon, wenfang and mr firhad. mr firhads damn joker lar. he was imitating spongebob and the other characters. hah. was surprised when he asked me about michelle! hmm wonder what miss tai have been telling him. bleahh
came home for a short nap before catching the wedding date in the evening with mich. heard the ticket prices are gonna be increased to $9.50!!! uurrgghhh... waddeheck. but nvm, im a supporter of piracy =) went to sentosa after that for chalet with the aspire hub people. realised its quite a nice place at nite especially when youre staying over so you can jus take ur time to roam about the beaches and all instead of rushing to catch the last bus home. the chalet was like... er the size of my room? with 12 guys all squeezing into it. haha the air con wasnt working so we had to open the windows. lucky no mosquito bites. spend the nite watching shutter and the rest continued with the ps 2 while i went to sleep. was damn farnie lar... everyone was screaming and scaring one another. haha yah GUYS.
*yawnz* just got back and its already 3pm... gonna get back some sleep before continuing with studies. seems like life can really get enjoyable if we know proper time management. =)

sigh

sometimes when all is going well, certain things just turn around and stab you in the back with reasons, unexplainable. thats just simply whats happening. somehow the feeling's just like a tsunami sweeping through a town... strikes without a warning, everyones affected one way or another, leaving you in a dilemma and asking yourself what have we done to deserve this. being a leader, often its the ones you lead who suffer when a mistake is made and not yourself. depressed, yet not allowing our emotions to affect our duties because of the one thing called Professionalism. something instead... only time can heal.

its been a year since Blen's death anniversary. many might have forgotten, but not me for sure. what a small world it is, his dad was my boat instructor during the training days. being taught by him brought back memories of how Blen used to train me with all the PA equipment... but i know, you're up there now enjoying yourself dude. whatever it is, you've still been in our hearts all these while.

childhood memories relived

with soccer matches on these few days... seriously, how much sleep can you get? haha. tiring week it was, but guess thats the way things are gonna become huh? the amazing race thingy on tuesday and wednesday turned out to be quite a fun one. better still, i got to take back sec1E as marshal! the class i took for orientation. the annoying yet adorable little ones. haha. =) the bus to the botanic gardens passed by my kindergarten and for the very first time in many years i got a chance to see my kindergarten, located along holland drive. its buildings very much look the same, except for its colour fadding off. thoughts just flowed through my mind bout the many good memories i had right there. locking everyone out of the com lab and getting a huge punishment for that, imagining to dig for dinosaur bones in the sand pit, fighting over the spaceship in the playground, the annual parents' concert that we all dread, having the whole school to celebrate your birthday with you... hah, yes the good old days when we cared about nothing else but PLAY. sadly as we all grow up, many of us have lost that innocence and began paying more attention to what society wants us to be, and not who we really desire to become... remember the days when we all wanted to be firefighters, policemen, docters, teachers... what happened to those dreams?

mann... responsibility and commitment has definitely grown much more for me now. camps, ltc, syf, ulp, linkamania are just some of the events coming my way. not forgetting school is reopening and studies now isnt going to be as simple and easy as secondary school was. sometimes, life isnt as sweet as it sounds. the harsh reality of our parents aging quicker and not being able to provide for us in time to come still well remains, though many of us would pretty much try to avoid the thought. its sad to know how hard parents are willinging to work just to give their children the very best they can provide... but well, parents will be parents. heh, and its time i start recognising that and study hard in return...

appeals

started off the morning with a bad tummyache and diarrhea, therefore had to turn down the gang in joining to help out with the sec1 amazing race programme. my sincere apologies. went down to get my eye check up done in the afternoon and then to register for the powerboat theory exams at sp. that really burnt a huge hole in my wallet =(. at the same time accompanied kevin to do his appeals at the various polys. there, i met afew others whom i've havent seen for some time. had a good chat and caught up with the activities some of us have been up to since last christmas. interesting indeed haha. what can i say, but all the best with your appeals guys. fred not, we'll keep the prayers coming in yea. =) just finished catching the oscar awards on tv. somehow it give me an urge to go rent some movies later on in the day. yeah, i shall do just that. haha.

nothing much for today, just waiting for you to return home really... its late and i should be turning in soon. the amazing race's still on later and i better go for it before i get nagged at. haha

speechless

postings were out last friday and once again my prayers are answered. AMEN! so its just a matter of time before its back to school, yeah business studies that is. for the first time im happy to annouce that im excited about getting my butt back in the books! haha. being involved with too many rc activities lately can start to become quite a chore. national fdcomp yesterday went well. besides viewing the competitiveness put up by the various squads, it felt great seeing those familiar faces from ulp and evic 3yrs ago. its good to know everyone's doing well and ever so supportive of their units. fairfield did put up a great fight really. unfortunately, well... there were others that did better. nonetheless, im proud of you people. for taking up this challenging despite knowing it wouldn't be easy on yourself from the very beginning. afterall, its the process that counts not the results. you guys did your best, and thats all that matters. fdcomp 07, we shall look forward to now. =)

attended the evening mass at holy cross today. made thanksgiving for the results and posting, but more importantly to pray for all those doing their service learning overseas at this moment. mann, it's just been afew hours and it already feels as though weeks have passed since she left... i miss you.

3 days to the big day

its been awhile since i've left the tv in my room switched off and listened to the soothing and mind easing music of five for fighting on my laptop. yeah, the heavy and bulky laptop that i've been using since the old one crashed. its about time i get a new one for school. posting will be out this friday. hmm, might consider sourcing around for notebooks next week. anyone interested? anyways... listening to all the music only ends me up in a reflective mood. thought about certain issues, and with a little prayer, i can now only wait and look forward for brighter signs to appear.

spent the day having the last fdcomp training at fairfield. it's been the fourth year for me already. just amazing how fast time flies. what else can i say besides myself being proud of the squad. yes, my squad. for surviving through all the tough trainings, the efforts put in, the bond we share, and the fun times we'll never forget... it has been a big achievement for everyone. i know you guys will perform simply wonderful on saturday and none of us will be let down. as the saying would go, ' i was never a champion... but i did serve and train with a squad of champions.' have faith in yourself and in the men on your left and right. =)

attended ash wednesday mass at holy cross in the evening and the church was almost packed by the time i arrived. standing throughout the service when having already done quite a number of pumpings before that was er... ouch. but oh wells. cheer up my A level seniors! all of us have been praying hard for you guys, so do believe that God has his plans for you! despite it not looking nice at this moment but eventually, we will understand when the outcome draws closer. =)